In Which Sadie Proves Herself Responsible

When we first got the fish I worried that the girls would quickly lose interest. I mean, we're talking about fish here. And goldfish at that. Unfortunately, the fish are the only pet we can have a this point in time. I'd love a cat, but since Dean is deathly allergic, I'm out of luck. I suppose you could say that it's a testament to my great love for him that I've been willing to live catless for so long. Although, truth be told, now that we have two children and experience daily the mess such little beings can create, I'm a tiny bit glad I don't also have a litter box to clean. Just don't tell Dean I said that.

So for now, Luna, Flower, and Spot are it when it comes to pets. We did just purchase a 10-gallon tank from a garage sale and will get some tropical fish just as soon as Dean builds the fish stand he is planning to build. I think it's on the list after the coat rack he is crafting and before the jewelry box (with silk lining) that he has promised to make me.

Lucky for the fish, Ella and Sadie still do enjoy them quite a bit. For a while, we were feeding the fish before bed each evening, and Ella and Sadie (mostly Sadie) would cheer the fish on in their feeding frenzy while simultaneously scaring the crap out of them every time they got too near the fish tank.

Lately, though, I've been waiting to feed the fish until after the girls are in bed. The whole bedtime thing takes so long these days, it's all I can do to convince myself that brushing teeth before bed is really a necessary thing. By the time I tear the girls away from the nighttime television watching (yes, I know, I'm a terrible parent), get the various cups of water, pacifiers, and blankets needed for bedtime, do the whole brushing of the teeth thing, followed by the dixie cup of water that takes 15 minutes to drink, I am desperate to get these children into bed. Each night I promise myself I'll be more patient than the last, but let's face it: It's just not happening. So I've skipped the feeding of the fish step in an attempt to shave five minutes off this nightly event.

No one noticed. Until last night. Now, Sadie is a pretty easy kid in many, many way, but she drives me CRAZY at bedtime. If she takes too long of a nap (she slept for THREE hours yesterday), she is up for an hour after we put her in her crib moaning and talking and chattering and just being generally annoying. About 15 minutes into this last night, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "HEY! WE FORGOT TO FEED THE FISH!!" I ignored her. A few minutes later, she screamed it again. And again. And again. Eventually, at around 9:00 (we put her into bed at 7:30), she fell asleep.

The VERY first thing she said to me this morning (and at this point, she's still half asleep with her eyes not even completely open yet) was "HEY! WE FORGOT TO FEED THE FISH LAST NIGHT."

How's that for responsible pet ownership? I do believe the child is ready for a dog--if only she didn't find them so terrifying.

[Editor's Note: You needn't worry about the fish. I HAD actually almost forgotten to feed them, but I remembered as soon as Sadie screamed it the first time. I didn't cheer the fish on like Sadie does, but I did make sure poor little Spot got some food before Luna and Flower ate it all.]